New Waves
by Gemini Artemis
Summary: When Narugami fails to find a new job, Loki decides to hire him as an assistant and let him live in the Enjaku Detective Agency, much to Yamino's dismay. Manga-verse, Narugami/Yamino.
1. A Helping Hand

**Author's note**: Behold, my first serious attempt at yaoi! I should warn you, though, that there will be no smut, probably not even implicit sex scenes.

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Chapter 1**

_**A Helping Hand**_

He was at the Agency again. Yamino could hear his boisterous voice all the way from the kitchen, which, considering the size of the house, was a remarkable feat indeed. He was always yelling, even when there was no good reason for it. As if his voice weren't already naturally loud, as if everyone around him were deaf.

His visits were becoming more and more frequent. Yamino tried to avoid him, but that would no longer be an option if he began to hang around all the time. Yamino needed to attend to Master Loki, after all; it wouldn't do to leave him alone for long.

How ironic that his worst enemy would also be his father's best friend – and how very inconvenient, too.

For a while, Yamino could only stand before the closed door which led to Master Loki's study. From this close, that voice – that horrible voice – was like thunder, loud and blood-chilling. Frozen to the spot, Yamino took deep, slow breaths and tried to stop his hands from shaking so much, as it was making the crockery on the tray in his hands rattle. There was no need to be afraid, he told himself. Master Loki would be there with them; he would never allow anyone, not even his best friend, to hurt Yamino.

Having calmed down a little, he swallowed the lump in his throat and quietly opened the door. His eyes immediately locked on the figure who was sitting casually on the couch as if he owned the place.

"Good afternoon, Narugami," he said meekly as he walked past him and headed towards his father. "Master Loki, here's your tea and—"

"Ooh, biscuits!" exclaimed Narugami. "Good thing you brought them; I was starving here!"

"Er..." Yamino watched in mild horror as Narugami shoved a calloused hand into the plate on the tray and grabbed a handful of biscuits. Delicious chocolate biscuits that Yamino had spent the better part of his day baking just for Master Loki. "E-excuse, but those are for—oh..." More than half of the biscuits were gone now. Yamino tried to hold the tray out of Narugami's reach, but it was proving to be a rather tricky task, what with Narugami's persistence and having to avoid spilling the tea.

"Narukami, do control yourself," said Loki, sounding only a little annoyed. "Yamino, I think you should bring more biscuits."

There were no more to be brought. All that was left were the few biscuits that had escaped from Narugami's grubby, predatory hands and now rested on the almost empty plate. But, if Master Loki wanted more, he would have more. Yamino would make more, and he would do it on record time, for he knew his father disliked to be kept waiting.

"Yes, sir," he said, mournful, then set the tray on the desk and discreetly threw Narugami a resentful look. Why someone as intelligent and high-class as Master Loki would want to be friends with such a brute, Yamino would never understand.

As if reading his mind, Loki gave him a small, almost apologetic smile and shrugged.

oOo

Weeks later, Loki was having a walk outside, eyeing all the pretty girls he found on the way and inwardly cursing the fates that he could no longer have as much fun with them as he used to. Though they still thought he was cute, it just wasn't the same thing. They didn't drop what they were doing to drool at his attractive features, nor was the sparkle in their admiring eyes quite the same. They might as well be looking at a fluffy kitten. Alas, that was what Loki had to content himself with, now. The specific look he wished they would give him was usually directed at Yamino these days.

Outshone by his own serpent of a son. How humiliating was that? He could almost hear Odin laughing at him.

So lost in his thoughts and ogling, Loki almost didn't see a very familiar figure lying in a heap on the pavement, not too far from the Agency. He did a double-take. No, he was not seeing things. It really was Narugami who lay there, as still as a corpse. With a twinge of worry, Loki hurried over to his friend and knelt down next to him.

"Narukami?" he called out, giving him a once-over. He didn't look hurt, just filthy and emaciated. Loki wrinkled his nose at his friend's condition and shook him. "Narukami, what the hell is wrong with you? Have you been drinking?"

At last, Narugami stirred and opened his eyes a slit.

"L-Loki..." he whispered. Loki was glad that he seemed lucid, if nothing else.

"Damn, Narukami, when was the last time you took a bath? And why are you lying on the street? What are you now, a beggar?"

"Pretty much," replied Narugami, his voice getting a little stronger, and with Loki's help he sat up. "You know how I lost my job some time ago?"

Loki hesitated and nodded. He remembered Narugami telling him about it in passing about a month ago, as well as that he had been having a hard time finding a new job – which, incidentally, was why his visits to the Agency had become so numerous; the poor bastard had just been too desperate for food.

"Well, I haven't found a new job since," slurred Narugami. "I'm broke. Can't pay the rent, can't buy any food..."

"Good grief, Narukami," said Loki, massaging his temple in exasperation. "It takes natural talent to be as pathetic as you, did you know that?"

"It's not my fault!" whined the god of thunder. "I've gone through so many part-time jobs already, I sort of ran out of options!"

"It's a very big city. I'm sure you can find a new job, sooner or later."

"Yeah, but until then, I'll starve."

"What, did you just find a piece of your lost pride that now prevents you from letting me share some food with you?"

"At first, yes... But then, I figured, pride won't fill my stomach, and I was on my way to your house, when... um... I ran into a bit of a problem."

"You mean you passed out from malnourishment?" Loki's lips twitched. He didn't know whether to feel sorry for his friend or terribly amused. Anyone else might have thought, this would be comical if it weren't so tragic, but Loki still found it too comical to take it entirely seriously. Nevertheless, he made an effort to keep a straight face (and almost succeeded). "Come on, I'll give you something to eat – under one condition."

"Yes?"

Loki smirked. "You have to beg. After all, you _are_ a beggar now, aren't you?"

"Loki..." Narugami growled lowly. "This isn't funny, you know. Stop mocking me and either help me or leave me alone."

"Just kidding, just kidding," said Loki, unable to hold back a chuckle any longer.

"But still, I don't feel right begging you for food all the time," said Narugami as Loki helped him up. "It doesn't matter if I actually beg you or just show up at your place asking what's for dinner. I want to earn my own money and buy my own food. I don't want to rely on you for any favours."

"I understand," said Loki, regarding him thoughtfully. A new, unorthodox idea was already cooking in his head, though he wasn't entirely sure of its wisdom. Then again, since when had the god of trickery and mischief ever cared about wise ideas? In fact, the more mayhem it created, the more fun, right? And if it actually helped a friend in the end, all the better.

"Say, Narukami..." he began, slowly. "Would you like to work for me?"

"What?" Even as weak as he was, Narugami still managed to muster shock at Loki's suggestion. He looked at the little god as if the latter had just grown an extra head, and then burst into laughter. "Funny, Loki. Very funny."

"I'm serious," said Loki, no trace of amusement in his voice or expression. "Yamino could use some help. The Agency is pretty big, and he has to clean it all by himself, on top of cooking, doing the laundry, and so on. In exchange for your services, I'll give you free boarding. There, that's fair, isn't it? Then you shouldn't feel like you owe me anything."

Narugami was staring at him, unblinking.

"You really are serious about this, aren't you?" he asked, still a little wary. Loki supposed he was a little unnerved and still half-expecting him to say what the catch was or that, yes, he was really joking and Narugami was an idiot for believing otherwise even for a second.

"Of course I am," assured Loki, with a shrug. "You told me to be serious and help you, so that's what I'm doing. I don't see what the big deal is. This isn't supposed to be a permanent arrangement, you know. It's only until you find a new job."

oOo

It didn't escape Loki that his son was none too pleased to see a haggard, filthy god of thunder set foot in their home yet again. However, Yamino was much too polite to say anything about it or even openly show his true feelings; instead, he gave them a forced, thin smile, welcomed them in, and easily obliged when Loki ordered him to make lots of food.

Yamino should really get over this irrational fear or grudge or whatever it was that he had against Narugami, anyway. Especially since they would be living in such close quarters from now on.

Speaking of which, it was time to break out the news. Now _that_ would be fun.

"Yamino," he began, affecting boredom, while they watched Narugami vacuum a plate clean with inhuman rapidity, "Narukami is our new assistant. He's going to live with us and help you with the chores."

Yamino just blinked and stared at him in apparent incomprehension.

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"You heard me."

Another blink. Yamino seemed to be waiting for something. The punch line, perhaps. He looked quite unsettled when Loki just stared back at him levelly, and Loki could see the growing dread in his eyes.

"A-are you serious, Master Loki?"

Loki let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, for the last time, I'm serious. Even I can be serious once in a while. Shocking though it may be."

It was a subtle change, but it was there; Loki saw the flash of fear on his son's face, which went a shade paler, the wide eyes that looked at him as if for the first time, the knuckles turning white as he clutched the tray in his hands, the air catching in his lungs. However, he quickly recomposed himself, smiled as if Loki had never said anything, and calmly excused himself from the room, muttering about having to do the dishes.

As Loki watched him leave, he actually felt a little sorry for him, as well as a twinge of guilt, even though he was also rather amused. The prospect of seeing how these two could cope with living under the same roof was still very promising, indeed. Oh, the chaotic possibilities! Loki couldn't help it; it was in his nature to take pleasure in causing mischief, even at the cost of his own son.

oOo

After leaving Loki's study, Yamino sauntered to his bedroom, looking the very picture of equanimity. He stepped in, closed the door, and leant his back against it. Then, with a whimper, he slid down to the floor and curled up into a foetal position, quivering and clinging to the tray in his hands as if it were a security blanket.

This had to be a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. Narugami – Thor – his greatest fear, his nemesis, working for Master Loki alongside him, _living_ in the same house as him! It hurt to even think about it.

How could Master Loki do this to him? Yamino didn't normally question his father's judgement, especially where it concerned Yamino himself. He was Loki's son and eternally loyal servant, and as such he must always submit to whatever Loki decided to throw his way. But this – this was cruel and unusual punishment. What on Earth was Master Loki thinking? Didn't he realise what a disastrous mistake this whole thing was going to be? He knew how Yamino felt about the god of thunder. Did he just not care at all? Was he doing this on purpose? For his own amusement? After everything Yamino had done for him, how could he be so—

Yamino shook himself, trying to get rid of such alien, abhorrent thoughts. He should not think that way about Master Loki. How could he? After everything _Loki_ had done for _him_! Loki had saved him from the bottom of the ocean, given him humanity, allowed him to live with him and assist him, allowed him to cook, to clean, to do the groceries, and everything else that Yamino enjoyed so much. He had given him life. And for that, Yamino would be eternally grateful. He had no right to be anything but. Master Loki deserved no less than the highest regard and unwavering loyalty and obedience.

It seemed that Narugami's proximity was already having a negative effect on Yamino and his thoughts. He couldn't allow this to happen again, especially if they were going to be living in the same house now.

Maybe he was worrying for nothing. Narugami might be a little bossy and rough, but he'd never done anything to actually harm Yamino. Then again, he didn't know who exactly Yamino was; he still believed that Yamino was just some human assistant that Loki had happened to find in Midgard. But if Narugami found out the truth about him... He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but there was no way he wouldn't figure out that something was off, eventually. It was just a question of time.

But if and when he found out the truth, certainly Loki wouldn't let him do anything about it, right? There was nothing to fear, as long as Master Loki was there to protect him. Then again, wasn't it Yamino who should be protecting Loki, who had been reduced to the form of a helpless child and whose powers were severely weakened? No, Yamino couldn't rely solely on his father's protection. Maybe Fenrir... No, no, he would probably just laugh at him.

A long time ago, his brother had told him he should fight his own battles. Yamino wasn't sure he was ready to face the god of thunder, human form or otherwise, so he would do the next best thing; avoid him like the plague and maybe carry some kind of weapon with him at all times, just in case. A small knife, or the tonfa, or – or pepper spray. Anything to defend himself in an emergency.

Well, he couldn't hide in his room forever. He would have to go out there and face his fears. Master Loki needed him. He had to keep his cool.

He carefully stood up, smoothed his clothes down, straightened his tie, took a deep breath, and schooled his features into blank neutrality. His composure regained, he quietly opened the door and made sure no one was around before leaving and making his way back to Loki's study.

"Ah, Yamino, how nice of you to join us," were Loki's greeting words.

Yamino discreetly surveyed the room, looking for Loki's companion, but there was no one else in sight. When he turned to look at his father, his gaze fell on the black puppy on the boy's lap, and he couldn't hold back a sigh of immense relief at the realisation that Narugami was indeed absent from the room.

"All right, Yamino?" asked Loki, the barest touch of concern in his voice.

"Yes, sir, thank you," replied Yamino, his polite smile already in place.

For a moment, he just stood there, looking at Loki, who seemed to guess he wanted to say something and looked back at him expectantly. Yamino's smile faded and he drew in a deep, slow breath to speak, but it lingered in his lungs as he hesitated. He longed to ask, _Why, Master Loki, why are you doing this?_ He wanted to speak his mind, tell Loki how he felt about this new arrangement. Loki might be his master, but he was also his father. Children should be able to voice their opinions to their own parents, right? Wasn't that what they said on TV? Surely Loki would understand.

The utter silence of the room buzzed on his ears, punctuated only by the grandfather clock.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock

Tick-tock.

The air escaped his lips silently.

Tick-tock

Tick-tock.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Master Loki?" he finally asked, the smile back.

Hopeless, he'd always been hopeless. A coward.

"As a matter of fact, there is," replied Loki, with an arched eyebrow. "Narugami has just gone to take a bath. I want you to bring him a towel and a change of clothes."

Yamino's smile fell just a little, just for one second. "Yes, sir." He bowed and began to turn around to leave.

"Yamino."

Halting, he looked back over his shoulder.

"Yes, Master Loki?"

Loki was frowning, his eyes drilling into Yamino's as if he could see into his very soul.

"I know what I am doing. Trust me."

Not for the first time, Yamino wondered if Loki could read his mind. But, no, he supposed the trickster god was just that sharp. A little too sharp, maybe. It was quite scary sometimes.

"I do, sir!" he said, with a grin. "I trust you with my life."

oOo

"Narugami!" he called out, knocking on the bathroom door. "I have brought you a towel and clothes!"

He expected, perhaps a little naïvely, that Narugami would behave like a normal, dignified person and shout out a word of thanks, possibly tell him to come in and leave the towel and clothes on the plastic stool next to the door while he, Narugami, remained modestly concealed behind the bath curtains or immersed in the water.

That the door burst open instead would have been surprising enough, but to see Narugami standing right there before him, dripping wet, flushed from the water's heat, and stark naked, was too much. Yamino nearly dropped the towel and the clothes, his eyes going wide as sauces.

"Thanks," said Narugami in a casual tone, seemingly oblivious. He snatched the towel and the clothes from Yamino's hands and slammed the door shut on his face.

Yamino did not move for a while. Although his unblinking eyes still stared, unfocused, at the closed door, the image of Narugami in the nude was imprinted on his brain, burnt into his retinas. Unbelievable. He had tried so hard to keep his cool, to be reasonable about this whole situation, to play his role as a civil, collected butler. But he had not been ready for this. Definitely not. Never, not even in a million years, could he have ever been ready to deal with such a thing as getting an impromptu eyeful of the thunder god.

He jumped two feet in the air when the door burst open a second time, his heart jamming in his throat. Fortunately, however, Narugami was fully dressed this time. The green pyjamas that had once belonged to Yamino were perhaps a little too tight around the waist and the shoulders while the sleeves and the legs were too long, but it should do well enough for one night.

"Are you still here?" asked Narugami, giving him a curious look. Even he could see how flustered Yamino was. "What's your problem? That was nothing you haven't seen before, right?"

As usual, Narugami had missed the point spectacularly. However, Yamino had no wish to argue with him. Anyone else might still have frowned to show their annoyance, but Yamino's automatic response was an appeasing smile and changing the subject.

"Actually, I am here to show you to your room," he said, glad that his voice sounded perfectly calm and neutral, even though his face still felt a little warmer than usual. He stepped aside and beckoned at Narugami. "If you would please follow me this way."

"You talk so funny, Four-Eyes," remarked Narugami.

Yamino would have liked to point out that this "funny" talk was called polite speech, though, of course, he didn't expect one as uncouth as Thor to be able to grasp such a concept. However, Yamino was too polite and fearful of Narugami's reaction to say what was on his mind, so he simply pretended not to hear him.

To his dismay, Narugami wasn't walking next to him, but one step behind. If it were anyone else, Yamino would have just assumed that, since Narugami didn't know the way, he was letting Yamino take the lead. This being actually Thor in disguise, however, Yamino couldn't help being unnerved. He could almost feel Narugami's dark gaze drilling a hole into the back of his head, his hot breath on his neck – here Yamino couldn't suppress a shudder – and the stealthy movements of his arms as they lifted a deceptively small hammer in the air and were about to strike when Yamino least expected it, like so many times in the past. Any minute now, any minute...

"So," said Narugami all of a sudden, his voice sounding unnaturally loud and making Yamino start, "how exactly are we going to do this? Should I help you with whatever it is you're doing, or are we going to divide the chores?"

Yamino half-turned his head to him, his bland, trademark smile plastered on his face.

"I think the latter would be more practical, wouldn't you agree?" Not only more practical, but safer. That should keep their encounters to a minimum.

"I won't have to serve tea or anything to Loki in his study, right? I mean, working for him of all people is humiliating enough, and I'm only doing it because I have no choice and it's temporary, but even I have limits."

Yamino's smile turned a little thinner.

"No, Narugami, do not worry. You do not have to serve Master Loki anything in his study at all. You can leave that to me." That was for the best, anyway. Something about the idea of Narugami tending to Master Loki's more direct needs, even if it was just bringing him tea, really bothered Yamino. That was _his_ job. Loki needed _him_, not Narugami.

"Agreed. Glad we've got that covered," said Narugami, with a nod, relief transparent on his face. "And another thing. Will I have to wear a uniform?"

"No, Narugami, uniforms are not obligatory here," replied Yamino patiently. "I am not wearing one, am I?"

"Okay, but I don't have to dress like _you_, right?" Narugami asked, with a look of distaste at Yamino's clothes.

Yamino bristled, affronted by the look and tone of voice. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the way he dressed – which, contrary to what many might think, had little to do with his butler façade; it was his own choice of style. Unlike certain people, he liked to look presentable at all times.

Yamino pushed his glasses up his nose, his face impassive. "You are free to dress however you like, of course, though something proper is highly advisable. We will just have to trust your good judgement on that," he said, more pointedly than he had intended.

"Something proper, eh?" Narugami spoke the words in a tentative manner, as if they were foreign to him. "Okay, gotcha. So, when do I start?"

They had just arrived at Narugami's new quarters. Yamino turned on his heels and regarded his companion. Although Narugami had had an army's worth of food and taken a long, relaxing bath, his complexion had not improved much. His face was pale, there were dark rings under his eyes, which were dull with exhaustion, and his shoulders, thinner than usual, were hunched slightly. Obviously, it would take more than one meal, however big, and a bath to compensate for weeks of extreme poverty.

Yamino's expression softened. He wasn't unkind – it wasn't in his nature to be – not even towards Narugami. He simply couldn't bring himself to take pleasure in another's suffering, or even remain totally indifferent to it. Despite his annoyance, fear, and resentment, he felt a twinge of sympathy for his new colleague, and for the first time today, maybe ever, he was able to offer him a sincere smile.

"We will discuss your duties later. For now, you must rest and recover your strength. Worry about nothing else."

Narugami nodded, his eyes half-hooded. "Okay. Thanks." Then, to Yamino's surprise, he thrust out his hand. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

Taken aback by the sudden, uncharacteristic show of manners, Yamino stared at he offered hand and hesitated for a long moment before slowly taking it. Narugami grasped it firmly and shook it. His hand was warm, rough, and a little on the bulky side – so completely different from Yamino's own. Yamino's eyes darted back and forth between the solemn Narugami and their linked hands. A bizarre, almost surreal occurrence, indeed. But not an unwelcome one, he supposed. When Narugami released his hand, Yamino blinked, feeling as though some sort of spell had broken.

"G'night, Four-Eyes!" said Narugami, slapping him hard on the back as he walked past him. The spell was broken. Yamino flinched and twitched, his teeth clenched and glasses askew.

"Good night... Narugami."

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Author's note**: The second chapter is already done, so it should be posted very soon.


	2. Living Nightmare

**A/N**: Many thanks to those who have read and reviewed and/or faved this story! I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter as well, even though it's sadly short.

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Chapter 2**

_**Living Nightmare**_

He was doing the dishes, humming under his breath. Soon Master Loki would be home, asking for dinner. It was all ready for him, of course. The day Yamino couldn't prepare dinner in time for his master would be the day he was dead. Especially since Master Loki had specifically requested that Yamino prepare something delicious for his return. That had been a while ago. He and Narugami had gone to look for the disappeared Mayura, leaving Yamino alone at the agency.

Alone.

Yamino paused in his task. Night was falling, sinking the world around him in darkness. He hadn't yet taken his time to turn the lights on, so the agency was dark. Dark and cold. Dark, cold, and empty, save for him.

_This place is so dark and cold, it makes me feel very lonely..._

Déjà vu.

The doorbell rang, jolting him out of his troubled thoughts, and he smiled, his heart filling with warmth and hope. Master Loki was back!

"Welcome home, Master Loki!" he called out in a singsong tone and opened the door. To his surprise, however, the sight that greeted him was not that of his master, but a stranger – a cute, sad-looking girl with long, wavy hair and glasses. She looked familiar, somehow. Where had he seen her before?

Before he could ask how he could help her, the girl seemed to fall against him, and something cold and sharp pieced his midsection. He froze at the icy pain, his entire body trembling and turning cold, getting colder and colder, his blood seeping from his wound, draining him of life.

"I found you... Jormungand. Thought you could have Loki all for yourself, did you?" said the figure still pressed against him. Her voice sounded different, though, and not only because it came out a little muffled. It was a male voice whispering in his ear. "Midgardsorm."

The figure stepped back and Yamino gasped, both at the pain of having the dagger pulled away and at the sight before him. It was Thor! And there was no dagger in his hand, only a hammer. That damnable, accursed hammer. Mjöllnir.

"Monster," rumbled the god of thunder, with a smirk.

Fear grasped his heart. He knew that look all too well. That was the expression Thor had always worn when he'd been about to...

"No... Oh, no... Please..." he whispered. Whether he was begging for mercy or in denial of this horrible reality, even he couldn't tell. A bit of both, perhaps.

When Thor ignored his plea and began to lift his hammer to bring so-called divine justice on him, Yamino tried to step back and throw his hands up to protect himself, his previous injury forgotten. He failed, though. He had no hands at all. Or legs, for that matter. He fell to the floor with a hiss.

All of a sudden he was a child again, virtually defenceless against this unrelenting tormentor. He whimpered every time the hammer made contact with his scaly body and his bones threatened to break. He tried to crawl away, but something heavy pinned him against the ground. He wiggled and struggled, but Thor's foot didn't budge at all and continued to hold him in place.

"You won't get away this time!" yelled Thor, putting a little more pressure on his victim.

Yamino hissed and squirmed in an effort to turn his head. If only he were a little stronger and faster, he might have been able to bite Thor's leg and inject poison on him. A moment later, Yamino let his head fall limply to the ground. No, he couldn't do it. He was too weak. Too weak. Hopeless. He had always been hopeless.

He flicked out his tongue and smelled a familiar scent. He made another, half-hearted effort to lift his head, trying to focus his eyes, but everything looked blurry. Where _were_ his glasses? Maybe Thor had broken them. Nevertheless, he knew who was there, watching them. If he tried really hard, he could make out the figure of a child.

"Master Loki..." he gasped. His voice was so soft and hoarse, it could barely be heard, even if Thor weren't yelling threats right above him. Regardless, Yamino persisted, willing to make himself heard. "Master Loki... Please help me... Please..."

By now, Loki had come close enough that Yamino could see him almost clearly. The trickster god's expression was bare of any emotion, his gaze cool. What was wrong with him? Couldn't he see that Yamino wasn't just playing war with Thor, that he was in actual distress?

"Master Loki! Please help me, Master Loki!" he kept imploring, his chest feeling hollow. He didn't understand. Why wasn't he getting through to Loki? "Master Loki! Father!"

At last Loki showed some emotion, though Yamino now wished he hadn't. A twisted smirk formed on the child's lips and he began to chuckle louder and louder, until he was cackling as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"'Father'?" shouted Loki. "I'm not your father! You made it quite clear when you stopped referring to me that way. _You_ disowned _me_, and now, after all this time, you dare to call me your father just because you want my help?"

Yamino winced. "No! No, no, Master – er, Father, it's not like that at all! I just—"

"Oh, shut up!" snapped Loki, all traces of amusement gone. "I don't really care about what you have to say. It's not as if I ever wanted to have you as a son, you know. Maybe if you had been a little more like Fenrir..."

"B-but I can still be useful to you, Master Loki!"

"Well, yes, you _were _rather useful. You made my life a little bit easier after I was exiled." Loki pointed at him. "But I don't need you any more! Narukami here is a much better assistant than you could ever hope to be!" Scoffing, Loki turned his back on him. "Narukami, be nice and put him out of his misery, will you?"

"Gladly," muttered Thor, with a vicious smile. Yamino barely heard him; he felt as though another knife had just stabbed him in the heart and was twisting, over and over, tearing it into pieces.

"Nooooooo!"

He sat up with a jolt, surrounded by darkness. The only sound was that of his quick, shallow breathing. His entire body was shaking and drenched with sweat. He looked down at himself, at his hands, noting he had them back; he was in his human form again. His eyes darted wildly around. He was... in his bedroom, at the Enjaku Detective Agency. He was home. It had all been a dream. A horrible, horrible dream, but that was it. It hadn't been real.

Too shaken to feel truly relieved at the realisation, he brought a trembling hand to his face, wiping the wetness that might be sweat or tears – or maybe both, he didn't know. His stomach churned and rolled, but after some deep breaths, the nausea passed and his breathing calmed down.

With his other hand, he groped for his glasses on the nightstand and put them on in order to see the time on the clock. Fifteen past four in the morning. He groaned and got up from the bed. He doubted he could fall asleep again, and even if he could, there would be so little time left that there was just no point in even bothering. He might as well make himself useful, then.

He looked at his sweaty self in disgust. First things first, he told himself. He needed a bath.

oOo

Fifteen minutes later, Yamino was dragging himself to the kitchen, one of his favourite places in the house. Hopefully he would feel better after having a light breakfast. However, as he neared the kitchen, he could hear some clunks and sizzling. He blinked and grew alert. Who else could be up at this ungodly hour? Could it be a burglar?

He tiptoed the rest of the way to the kitchen, his shoulder to the wall, and peered inside. When he saw who it was, he didn't know whether to be relieved or even more unsettled.

"Th—Narugami?"

Narugami looked over his shoulder to meet Yamino's gaze.

"Hey! About time someone in this house woke up." He paused, narrowing his eyes a little. "Damn, Four-Eyes, you look like death warmed over. What happened? Didn't you sleep well?"

"Good morning, Narugami," said Yamino, remembering his manners a little belatedly. He stepped into the kitchen after a moment of hesitation and watched the other man curiously. "And no, not really," he admitted in response to Narugami's question. "What about you? Why are you up so early? Is something wrong?"

"Nope! Everything is just fine!" Narugami threw a pancake up in the air and caught it again with practiced ease. "I always wake up at four AM. Golden rule of a good worker; the early bird catches the worm. I'm not lazy like Loki."

Yamino frowned at the slight against his master, but made no comment. Instead, he watched Narugami with something akin to fascination. Against all expectations, Narugami seemed to be full of energy this morning, his movements agile and precise, his eyes fully alert and lively, his complexion healthy once again, and a smile played on his lips. It seemed that this one-night rest had done him a world of good, after all; more than would be considered natural. Perhaps it was due to him being a god.

Whatever the reason behind his quick recovery, once again the contrast between them was obvious. Narugami in the pink of health and Yamino feeling, well, like death warmed over, as Narugami had oh-so-tactfully put it.

"So, what's the matter?" asked Narugami conversationally, his voice muffled as he had just stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth. "Nightmare?"

"Er, well... Not exactly," Yamino fibbed, shifting nervously. He didn't feel comfortable discussing this with the very source of his nightmare.

Besides, he was growing more and more preoccupied with something else. His eyes kept being drawn to Narugami whenever he touched anything in the kitchen; when he made another toast, when he took a couple of plates and glasses out of the cupboard and set them on the table, when he opened the refrigerator to get some juice, when he began to make coffee. Without quite realising it, Yamino's frown deepened at each action. For some reason, the sight of Narugami in the kitchen – _his_ kitchen – messing around with all the utensils in such an offhand manner, as if he owned the place, was really bothering him. He felt a sudden wave of protectiveness wash over him.

"Here, why don't you eat something?" suggested Narugami, oblivious to Yamino's vexation.

Yamino, who hadn't been paying much attention to what he had been saying, jumped in surprise when Narugami dropped an impressive pile of pancakes on the plate before him.

"I'm sorry?" he said, giving the pancakes a wary look.

"You'll feel better after eating something," was Narugami's matter-of-fact reply. Again without asking for consent, he poured juice into one of the glasses on the table and shoved it in Yamino's direction, very nearly spilling its contents. "A healthy meal can cure anything! You know, maybe that's why you've been so run-down; you gotta eat more. You're way too skinny, anyway," he said, with a disapproving look and a jab at Yamino's ribs.

Though a bit ruffled by the jabs – both verbal and physical – Yamino still had what he liked to think as enough self-control to remain mostly calm and let them slide without comment. He let his eyes focus on the meal before him once again, and it said something about how out of sorts he was that it took his brain a while to catch up and comprehend why they were so close to his side of the table.

"Wait, you mean you have made breakfast... for _me_?" he asked slowly, uncertain. It was such a new, bizarre concept that he was having some trouble believing it. He wasn't even sure he liked the idea very much. On one hand, it was rather thoughtful and uncharacteristically nice of Narugami; on the other hand, it was _Narugami_. Messing with his pristine kitchen, free to taint his food if he so wished...

"You shouldn't have..." he murmured uncomfortably.

"Aww, no need to thank me!" said Narugami, misunderstanding his meaning. "It was no problem at all! In fact, I could make breakfast for everyone _every day_—"

"No!" Yamino burst out. Then, looking away from Narugami's startled gaze, he coughed and amended, "I mean, I appreciate your offer, but that won't be necessary."

Narugami just shrugged and narrowed his eyes at him. "Oi, why aren't you eating? Is something wrong with the pancakes I made? Are they not good enough for you?" he questioned, a hint of a threat in his low voice.

"No, no, it's delicious!" Yamino eeped, even though he had yet to touch his food. Under Narugami's overbearing glare, he withered with a shudder and reluctantly began to eat.

He had to hand it to him; the pancakes _were_ really good, indeed. If anyone else had made them, Yamino would have given his compliments. Unfortunately, they had been made by none other than Narugami, and Yamino could barely enjoy their taste; he just stuffed one forkful after another into his mouth, eating mechanically and a little too quickly, anxious to get it over with. The realisation that he was alone with his worst enemy while everyone else was asleep, blissfully unaware of his whereabouts, had just caught up to him and made him feel very uneasy. It went against his policy to avoid Narugami like the plague. If Narugami were so inclined, he could do whatever he wanted to Yamino; he could kill him right now, and no one would ever know who the culprit was.

All of a sudden, Narugami leapt to his feet, pushing his chair backwards so it nearly toppled over. The abrupt movement nearly gave Yamino a heart attack, and for one second he really believed that his thoughts would become reality and that Narugami was going to attack him right here and now.

However, Narugami seemed to be ignoring him completely. He washed the dishes quickly, almost broke one glass, dried his hands when he was done, and grabbed his wooden sword from where it had been lying on the counter.

"I'm going out for my morning exercises," he told Yamino. "Don't disturb me. When I come back, we'll talk about our chores. All right?"

Swallowing, Yamino just nodded. Only when Narugami had left and his footsteps could no longer be heard did he allow himself to relax. Now that Narugami was gone, he felt he could breathe again.

Now that he was once again... alone.

Completely alone.

Alone in a dark and cold mansion.

He almost wished Narugami was still with him.

oOo

A few hours later, Yamino went out to the supermarket. Not the one nearest to the Agency, but another a little farther, so it would take him longer to go and return. He needed to be away from Narugami for a while, to rest his mind, even if it would exhaust his body even more. As long as he could have a moment of peace and feel safe enough to lower his guard, he did not care how tired he felt.

When he finally made it back to the Agency, he felt as though he was going to drop at any moment, and yet his mind was alert. While he still felt daunted at the prospect of seeing Narugami again in the very near future, at least it didn't feel as though his nerves were scattered all over the place. He had even had the presence of mind to remember to get his tonfa before leaving the house. Just let Narugami try anything funny; he would regret it dearly!

As soon as he stepped into the mansion, he knew there was something odd about it. Something different. Something was missing. If Yamino weren't so tired, he would probably have realised what it was right away. As it was, however, it only took him a minute.

The dust from overnight was missing. Someone had cleaned the entire place while he had been away. There was no doubt as to who had done this. Loki and Fenrir wouldn't do any housework to save their lives, and Mayura rarely came by this early – although she had offered to help him with some of the housework in the past, he had politely refused and she had never brought it up again – so that only left Narugami.

Yamino had thought this might happen, which was why he had deliberately assigned his new colleague to clean up the attic – which was an awful mess and should have taken him the whole day.

"Hey, Four-Eyes!"

Speaking of the devil...

"Narugami," began Yamino in a reasonable tone of voice. "I thought I asked you to clean up the attic..."

"And I did! But I finished it before you came back, so I decided to go ahead and clean somewhere else, too. You took so long, though, I ended up cleaning the whole place."

An incredulous pause, then, "Do you mean to tell me that you have cleaned _the entire agency_ in three hours?"

"Well, yeah, pretty much," said Narugami, with a shrug.

Yamino wished he felt as unconcerned as Narugami looked, but at the moment he was rather getting a sinking feeling in his stomach. With another glance around, he realised that dust wasn't the only thing missing. He pointed at an empty spot on a small table in the corner.

"What happened to the vase that was there?" he asked.

"Oh, that." Narugami rubbed the back of his head and had the grace to look at least a little sheepish. "I, um, sort of broke it. But it was an accident! And, uh, I also broke some other stuff. A couple other vases, one lamp, some figures... I kept their pieces, though! Maybe I can glue them back together later."

Yamino tried to say something, but it came out all choked. He took a deep breath, held it for a long time, and then let it out while a smile eased its way onto his face.

"Accidents... happen," he managed to say, though his voice still sounded tight and forced. He took another breath and this time succeeded in achieving a light, jovial tone, "But many of these items are very precious, so please be more careful in the future, yes?"

"Okay. And don't worry, I'll fix the stuff I broke."

Yamino could have told him not to bother, because even if he by some miracle managed to glue those broken pieces back together, their previous value or beauty would never be recovered. Well, let him try, anyway. If nothing else, it should at least keep him busy and out of Yamino's sight for a good while.

"Very well, Narugami. Er, are you going to school today?" he asked when he noticed his colleague's attire. Hope blossomed inside him; school meant Narugami would be away for hours.

To his disappointment, Narugami gave him an odd look and answered, "No, of course not. It's Sunday."

"Oh. Then why are you wearing a school uniform?"

"You told me to wear 'something proper', so..." Another shrug.

"Ah, I see," said Yamino neutrally. So this was Narugami's idea of proper attire. In retrospect, he really shouldn't have been surprised. Maybe this school uniform really was the most proper piece of clothing in Narugami's wardrobe. Come to think of it, did he even own any other clothes? Yamino didn't recall having ever seen him wearing anything else.

Yamino shook his head, with a sigh. He must really be too tired if he had begun to dwell on his nemesis' dressing style, or lack thereof.

"I'll go make breakfast for Master Loki," he said. "Then I'll go wake him up."

"No need!" Narugami chipped in. "I already woke up the lazy bastard. Made him breakfast, too. He must be in his study by now."

That made Yamino stop short. Ever so slowly, Yamino turned his head to look back at Narugami.

"You made breakfast for Master Loki," he said in flat tones, even though he was quivering inside.

"Sure!"

The nerve! Only he, Yamino, made breakfast for Master Loki! A healthy, nutritious, well-balanced breakfast which he always took so much care to make. It was part of his morning ritual, one of the joys of his life, and now Narugami had taken it from him without even asking. And then, as if that weren't enough, Narugami had gone as far as to enter Master Loki's _bedroom_ and rouse him from his peaceful slumber _earlier than necessary_.

With relatively little effort that came only from being naturally cool-tempered, Yamino stomped on his growing anger, telling himself he was overreacting. It was only for one day, Narugami must be trying to prove himself useful on his first day of work, no need to make a big deal out of it.

"Well, then. I suppose I will just... make some tea. Yes, tea would be lovely," he said amicably, more to himself than to anyone else, as he made his way to the kitchen. Halfway there, he had to stifle a small yawn. Still morning and already he felt so tired. This wouldn't do at all. "On second thought, better make it coffee."

oOo

"Master Loki, I've brought you tea."

"Hm? Oh, thanks, Yamino." Loki looked up from his reading and stopped short, his brow furrowing. "Yamino... you look—"

"Like hell," said Fenrir from his father's lap.

"Hmm, I was going to say 'a little under the weather', but you got the idea all the same," said Loki, with a tilt of his head. "Is everything all right, Yamino?"

"Of course, Master Loki!" answered Yamino, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, a hint of hysteria threatening to break into his voice. "Everything is wonderful! Why wouldn't it be?" He set the tray on the desk, poured tea for his father, and then took his own cup, which was filled with a different drink – something that did not escape his perceptive father's attention.

"Coffee, Yamino? How unusual," he remarked shrewdly.

"Well, sir, this has been quite an unusual morning," Yamino felt the need to point out. He took a sip and savoured the bittersweet taste of caffeine. "This is a new brand, so I felt this was the perfect opportunity to try it."

Loki made a suspicious, humming noise, eyes narrowed. "Has Narukami done anything?"

"Oh, he certainly has," replied Yamino pleasantly before downing a large gulp of coffee. "He cleaned up the entire agency in a few hours, and he still had time to make you breakfast. He's so... efficient and helpful. Hiring him has indeed been one of your best ideas yet, Master Loki!" He sounded so convincing, he even believed his own words. He had to, or else it would mean either lying to his father or offending him. He didn't know which was worse.

"I see," said Loki, going back to reading his newspaper. Yamino had to smile at the sight of the little boy doing such an adult-like activity. It was just so... so _cute_. There was no other word for it, except maybe "adorable".

"It shouldn't be so surprising," Loki continued. "Narukami always dedicates himself wholeheartedly to his duty, no matter what it happens to be – even if it is to serve me." An amused smirk played on his lips.

Meanwhile, Fenrir was staring at his little brother with wide, baffled eyes. "Are you serious, Midgardsorm? What about all those antiques he broke? I thought for sure you of all people would freak out about that."

"Ah, yes, that." Yamino gave his brother a serene smile. "We should not blame him, Brother. Accidents happen, you know."

"Not to you."

"Wait," interrupted Loki. "What's this about broken antiques?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Yamino reassured him. "Just some little accidents that Narugami suffered involving some of our artefacts. Nothing to worry about at all."

"Er, Yamino—"

"After all, they were just some ancient pieces of decoration...

"Yamino, I think you should—"

"Unique, invaluable, irreplaceable, millennial antiques... lost forever because of one moment of carelessness..."

The cup in his hand suddenly broke into pieces, spilling what was left of the hot coffee on Yamino's hand and the floor. Unflinchingly, he only stared at it, a little taken aback. He hadn't realised that he had been squeezing the cup at all, let alone hard enough to shatter it.

Completely unfazed by the burning hot liquid scalding his hand or the small, bleeding cuts caused by the shards, Yamino looked back at his father and his brother, who were regarding him with mildly worried looks. Yamino offered them what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"See? Accidents do happen – even to me." He flexed his fingers almost convulsively, dropping the shards to the floor. He frowned down at the mess. "Excuse me, I'll get a mop to clean this up."

oOo

As soon as Yamino stepped out of the study, father and son let out a breath and turned to look at each other.

"Daddy, I think he's cracking."

"Nonsense, Fenrir. It's been less than one day. Yamino is stronger than that."

"Maybe you're right. I never thought I'd say this, but he looked kinda scary just now, when he broke that cup. He looked just like a snake coiling around someone's neck, squeezing it, smothering them to death..." A faint shudder coursed through the puppy's body.

"A very accurate description." Loki smirked in amusement. "And guess whose neck is that?"

So far, so good, he thought. Not even a day had passed and things were already beginning to get interesting. So Narugami had apparently turned out to be quite a competent housekeeper, and Yamino seemed to have got upset over something that wasn't threatening Loki. How extraordinary. He wondered if Yamino would ever lose his temper and confront Narugami. It seemed so unlikely that he thought he might as well wonder if pigs could ever fly, but then, he reminded himself, there was Gullinbursti, so anything was possible.

Wait and see.


End file.
